I'll Be Fine
by Alyssa4Music4Life
Summary: When Connect 3 meets a very strange, different little girl, they learn that music can be more important than they ever imagined...


**Well it's little me, back from...Eurpoe! it was awesome and I thought up this one shot idea on the plane ride (Very LONG plane ride) back to the U.S. I don't know if it turned out very well but...oh well. Tell me what you think!**

**Without further ado...I give you....  
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I'll Be Fine**

"AH! It's Connect 3!"

Nate, Shane and Jason exchanged a glance and took off down the hospitals hallway.

Seriously…all they came here for was to visit some kids. Why did there have to be teenage girls there, too?

Nate noticed a small, darkened room. He ran to the door and yanked it open. "Guys!" he shouted. "In here!"

They piled in and slammed the door, before leaning against it and panting.

"That was close," Shane gasped.

"I know," Jason agreed. "This is cra-"

Before he could finish, a low snarl sounded from inside the room. The boys froze.

"Guys?" Shane whimpered. "Please tell me you made that sound."

"No…" Nate squeaked, also scared.

Another snarl. It didn't sound exactly animal like…

Jason flipped on the light switch.

A scream slash growl echoed in the room. The boys spun around and looked around the room.

A small figure sat in a dark corner, knees drawn up to its chest, its arms over its eyes like it had thrown them like that to keep the light out. Slowly, it lowered them to stare at the boys with angry, dark hazel eyes. They realized it was a young girl. Her dark hair hung at her shoulders, and her hospital clothes were faded.

"Oh, we're sorry," Jason said sounding slightly shocked. The room was so small and dark that he couldn't believe anyone would want to stay here. "We…we didn't know anyone was in here."

The girl stared back at him. Slowly, her lips pulled back to reveal perfect, white teeth. It wasn't a smile…

"Um…" Shane said. "Hi. I'm Shane, this is Nate and Jason."

Jason waved.

Big mistake.

The girl saw his hand move and shrieked, a totally wild sound. She was on her feet in a second, teeth bared even more. Her hands clenched and she moved along the wall, back pressed against it, snarling. Connect 3 backed up.

"Guys…what's it doing?" Shane asked.

Another shriek; she didn't like to be called an "it" apparently.

Nate noticed a clipboard on the wall and snatched it, scanning it.

"Her name's Isabel," he said. "She's ten…and it says here she's mute and unstable."

"Translation: She can't talk and she's insane!" Shane whimpered.

Isabel cried out again, eyes blazing. How dare they call her insane?!

"Sorry!" Shane cried.

Isabel took a step towards them, another growl ripping from her throat. The boys backed up to the wall.

"Guys…" Jason asked. "Do something…"

Nate thought quickly. "Isabel."

She froze a step, then bared her teeth.

"Isabel, we're not going to hurt you," Nate said slowly and clearly. "We didn't know you were in here, and we're sorry we disturbed you. We're just going to sit here, okay?"

Isabel didn't answer, obviously, but she seemed satisfied by his words. Slowly, Connect 3 slid down onto the floor. She watched, then folded her own legs and sat down in the middle of the room.

Silence rang out. The boys took in the small room.

There wasn't a bed…only a little blanket for Isabel to sleep on. But there were instruments…musical instruments. She had two electric guitars in there, with an acoustic one propped up against the wall. A little keyboard was sitting on its stand in a corner, and a drum set in another. There was a box, as well; a cardboard one, its contents unknown.

Isabel studied the boys, her eyes concentrating. Suddenly, with a small exclamation, she was on her feet again. The boys started and leaned back as far as they could.

Isabel stared at them, then ran to her little box. The boys exchanged a glance, then watched her as she dug through it. Finally, she stood, a small square in her hands.

She took a cautious step forward, then held out the square so the boys could see it.

It was their latest album.

Isabel pointed to their picture, then at them, expression that of curiosity and questioning. Shane blinked.

"What?"

A line of frustration formed on Isabel's forehead. She tapped the album and pointed at them.

"Oh…I get it," Nate said. "She's asking us if we're Connect 3." He addressed Isabel. "Yes, that's us."

Isabel changed. A smile –an actual smile- lit up her face and a happy sound came from her throat. She beamed at the boys, then ran for one of her guitars. She grabbed it and pointed at Jason, who started and stared at her in silence.

Isabel pointed at the guitar and then at Jason again.

He frowned. Isabel sighed and mimed someone playing the guitar, then pointed at him again.

Slowly, Jason got it. "Yeah…I play the guitar…" he said slowly. Isabel smiled, a sly smile this time, and stepped forward. Slowly, she approached Jason and held out the guitar. He took it and slowly stood up.

Isabel picked the album back up and pointed to the back, where the songs were listed.

"I think she wants you to play," Shane said slowly. Another smile and Isabel nodded.

"Uh…okay," Jason said, pulling the guitar strap over his shoulder and strumming the guitar to see how it needed to be tuned. It surprised him to find it was already perfectly tuned. He started to play, but Isabel held up a hand, telling him to wait. She grabbed the other guitar and sat down, expression expectant.

Jason started to play the chorus to Play My Music. Nate and Shane watched Isabel and realized she was staring intently at Jason's fingers as they moved along the guitars neck, and strummed the strings. Her eyes darted back and forth for a second before she held up her hand again. Jason stopped.

Isabel picked up her guitar and took a deep breath. She placed her hands on the neck…

…and played Jason's song!

Everyone looked amazed.

When she hit a wrong note, however, a small sound of frustration came from her throat.

"Here," Jason said, reaching for her hand. "Let me-"

Isabel hissed sharply, jumping to her feet. Jason jumped back.

"Sorry, sorry!" he said quickly.

Isabel watched him for a second, then returned to playing. She hit the note perfectly and the sly smile returned.

"Nice," Jason said.

Isabel looked up at him with a soft smile.

Suddenly, her eyes locked on Nate. She put the guitar gently down and ran to him. Nate jumped as she grabbed his wrist; her hand was cold as ice. She tugged on his arm. Nate remained on the floor and Isabel frowned. She tugged again.

"Cccc…" she growled out, like she was trying to say come. It sounded more like a car trying to start.

Nate stood slowly and Isabel tugged him towards the keyboard. She pushed him towards it, then grabbed up the Connect 3 album. She returned to Nate and pointed to his song on the album. Then, she mimed piano playing and pointed at him.

Nate nodded slowly. "You want me to play?"

Isabel nodded and slid onto the bench next to him, making sure to keep her distance. Nate turned on the keyboard and started to play, going a bit slower than usual so she could watch him; knowing that, this was probably her intention.

After the song finished, Isabel reached across Nate to place her fingers on the keyboard. Nate slid off the chair for her and she stared down at the keys.

Suddenly, music almost perfectly matched to Nate's filled the room. Isabel smiled as her fingers moved along the keyboard.

Nate smiled softly and began to sing quietly along.

After a minute, the song ended with Nate's clear voice singing

"…A little bit longer, and I'll be fine."

Isabel's head whipped around to stare at him. Nate blinked, surprised.

Isabel opened her mouth. "Ahh…" she croaked out. "Ah…I…I'll b…be…f…fi-yun…"

Everyone stared. Isabel's eyes grew wide. "I'll…be…fine," she repeated in a clearer voice. "I'll be…fine. I'll be fine." She started to grow more animated. She leaped up from the keyboard.

"I'll be fine!" she cried, spinning in a circle. "I'll be fine!"

She stopped in front of Nate and hugged him around the waist. "I'll be fine."

Nate stared down at her, then carefully hugged her back. Isabel didn't seem to mind.

She was on a roll. Tearing away from Nate, she ran to Shane and smiled. Then, she pointed to him and opened her mouth like she was going to speak again. Then she pointed at him again.

"She wants you to sing," Jason said softly. Isabel beamed at him.

"Sure," Shane said. "Turn on that radio as loud as it can go...Wanna dance until my feet can't feel the ground (feel the ground)...Say goodbye to all my fears..One good song they disappear...And nothing in the world can bring me down (bring me down)."

Isabel frowned and slowly repeated the words back in her low, rough voice.

Slowly, Shane sang and slowly, Isabel learned the words.

By the time the song ended, Isabel was grinning. She looked at all three members of Connect 3.

"Thank…you," she said softly.

"You're welcome," Nate said just as softly.

Suddenly, Isabel had another idea in mind. She ran to her drum set and picked up the drum sticks. She started to walk back towards Nate when

"Oh my goodness! They're in Isabel's room!" someone shrieked. Suddenly, the door flew open and a nurse yanked the boys out of the room, leaving behind a very hurt, confused and lonely Isabel.

Outside, Nate demanded "Why did you do that?"

The nurse who'd dragged them out didn't seem to hear him. "Oh my gosh are you all right?!" she exclaimed. "She was coming at you with those sticks…did she hurt you?"

"Hurt us?" Jason repeated. "No she was fine."

"Fine!?" the nurse squeaked. "Why, whenever anyone enters the room she turns totally vicious! Screaming and trying to claw the doctors…poor thing."

"Really?" Shane asked. "What's wrong with her?"

They didn't know Isabel could hear every word.

"Her parents died in a crash last year," the nurse said softly.

"And she didn't have anywhere to go?" Nate asked.

"No, she had…she has an aunt and uncle…but they're the ones who put her here."

"Why?" Shane asked.

"She never spoke…and one day, the darling just cracked. She almost killed her cousin." The nurse shook her head. "We don't know what's wrong with her. Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Nate said. "We were having…fun."

"Fun?" the nurse repeated. "What happened? Tell me how you got in there."

"Well, we were being chased by these girls," Jason said. "And Nate noticed the room so we piled in there…"

"Without giving any warning?!" The nurse shrieked.

"Um…no," Jason said uncomfortably. "And when we heard a sound, we flipped on the light…"

"YOU TURNED ON HER LIGHT?!" The nurse was pale. "W…what happened?"

"Well," Shane sighed. "She kinda…snarled at us and when we learned her name we told her it was an accident coming into her room…and then we just sat down."

"And she let you stay there?" the nurse asked incredulously. A sudden movement caused her to jump and squeal; Isabel had approached the glass window and was staring at them.

Shane smiled at Isabel. "Yeah…"

"And then, she seemed to be studying us," Nate added. "Then, she jumped up and grabbed a CD…our CD…and basically was asking if we were Connect 3."

"She spoke?!"

"Well…not at first."

"She did, then?!" the nurse asked excitedly.

"Yeah…after I played my song on the keyboard, she repeated it…and then she got Shane to sing and she sang the words back at him."

"Oh my…god," the nurse murmured. "This is…this is huge…what do you think caused her to…wait, why did you play her keyboard?"

"Because she wanted him too," Jason said simply. "After she made me play the guitar."

"It must have been the music," Nate said suddenly. He glanced at Isabel; she nodded.

He smiled. "It was the music."

The nurse looked at Isabel and shuddered. Isabel turned from the window and went back to her corner. She sat down, drew her knees up and stared at the four people outside her room.

"Well that...that is an incredible miracle," the nurse said. "I'm…shocked…well, we better get out of here."

"Wait," Shane said as the nurse turned to leave. "Can't we say goodbye?"

"It's not safe," the nurse replied sadly. "We shouldn't push it…"

Jason and Shane nodded.

As they started to leave, Nate looked worriedly back at Isabel.

She was watching him. Slowly, she pressed her fingers to her mouth, dropped them and mouthed to him, the reassuring words.

_I'll be fine._


End file.
